Micro Four Thirds: 10 years on from the birth of mirrorless

Micro Four Thirds: ten years old this week

There were no illustrations when the Micro Four Thirds concept was announced, so we had to draw our own.

Ten years ago this week, Panasonic and Olympus announced the Micro Four Thirds format. And in doing so, prompted us to use the term 'mirrorless' for the first time.

The rather corporate press release didn't necessarily spell out just how important a development it was. The two camera makers thought they were announcing a new mount, while trying not to upset existing Four Thirds customers. What they were actually doing was changing the direction of the industry.

Comments

That reminds me, I need to get a GH5. A guy who shoots video for us using a Sony A7S II had it overheat, so despite larger sensor, the Panny wins for me. Anyway, based on my experience with a GH2, it's a great format, although I hope at this 10th anniv, Panny and Oly will consider somehow engineering a larger sensor into the same compact bodies whilst also retaining the compact lenses.

Had the mirrorless camera been developed first, it would have been called just "camera". But the single-lens-reflex camera was. So when a mechanically simple technology came along, it was nature to distinguish it from what had by that time become the "canonical" concept of camera by how it differed. This is a legitimate way to describe a variant of a thing, and certainly is easier to say than "single-lens-unified-recording-and-viewing-chain-camera"

ZeBebito: That's the main reason the EVIL name didn't catch on -- most mirrorless didn't have an EVF. However, one could argue that the rear LCD **IS** an EVF. After all, TLRs had "waist-level viewfinders" that were more like a rear LCD, but pointed up from the camera top.

Neat little article with things I wasn't aware of. Timely now that the two photo-giants are about to embark on ff mirrorless, as it looks. Dear me I hope the Nikon Z doesn't have some weakness that becomes a fatal flaw among youtube reviewers and the public and then one and a half weeks later the Cannon EOS Y appears and R Cicala takes it apart and it is as well made as their lenses and on top of that it autofocuses with three pixels and isn't quirky in the slightest just a winner that goes stellarly with all their long lenses.

Don't forget that Nikon introduced its own on-sensor PDAF tech before most other brands. That was in an Aptina-made sensor and Aptina only offered the non-PDAF version for sale to anyone else, strongly suggesting it's Nikon IP.

@Grieve: true, m43 is the original dedicated ML system. Too sad the format is so limited, I think it'll be the second one to go under, after Nikon 1, this one even more limited. APS-C and FF will dominate it easily, as already are doing. m43 is likely under 10% of all ILC market and maybe 20% of ML market, and going down.

@vscd, yep, that is why I think MICL's cameras are the way of future. If you are stuck on big heavy, large DSLR's, that is you problem. Why esle do you think Nikon is finally going with the future cameras, just like Sony has, and done so well at it?

Your hlaf brian has pblrlems with wrting. But for the other half: Guess what people still use for their business. Especially DSLRs and sometimes mirrorless. The cam doesn't count. I have both and I would never replace the DSLR with a mirrorless... I don't like EVF, poor AF or batterydraining, just live with it. Accept other opinions. Canon and Nikon see a big market and they want to compete... yes, but the future? Leica is mirrorless since a century, they lives in peace with DSLR because they have their merrits.

Would you replace your sportscars if a new off-road-vecicle comes out? I guess not, they both have the reason for their existence. The Offroader is not the future of the Ferrari.

But of course... companies can build both if the market want's them. BMW builds both, Porsche, Ford.... you name it.

Lumix GM1 not worth a mention? The camera that really pushed the size down. Yes, it's so small it's a pain to use, but if you really need to get a good picture out of a tiny black box, nothing other than that iteration of MFT counts. the quality of the little 12-32 lens is pretty amazing too, all things considered.

Bought the Panasonic GF1 when it first came out. An amazing camera, a real treat. Although I now also own FF and 1" sensor cameras, the m43 universe remains a special place for me. Great body lens options! Quality.

If focused on purely digital camera developments without mirror inside, the Leica M8 and M9 could be named, too as first digital rangefinder options with M9 being full frame CCD sensor based (not without flaws but certainly made their place in camera history).

Well, rangefinders have mirrors, just not in the optical path to the sensor :p

SRSLY THO. Generally, when people talk "mirrorless", it actually means MILC, which usually means interchangeable lens camera with a digital display. Which I guess makes the X-Pro series squeak by on a technicality.

You'd have a better argument talking about all digital compacts that came before, especially if people want to consider things like the X100 and Ricoh GR "mirrorless" cameras.

@Grive: True, there is still a little mirror in the rangefinder patch ;). The loose definition of MLC how it is commonly used refers to the otherwise used mirror which needs to flip for example in DSLRs. But yes, by this definition many other cameras will fit into this category.

I know, I know, that's why I went all SRSLY afterward. I was just making a silly joke.

Mirrorless is quite vague to the point of being useless except as a proper name rather than a description, which is why I guess marketfolks keep trying to come up with names like CSC, ILCE, and such doomed acronyms.

Eh, it's not like it's the first time we photographers have come up with dumbass nonsensical names for stuff.

Hmmmmm....So, no mention of Sony at all? Seems odd, considering Sony did this with APSC and FF, and 4/3 is looking more and more like a shrinking niche (I'm an Oly fan, had those cameras from 2002 to 2010, not a h8r). And, only Nikon and Canon are "major players" at this point? Well, at least that's been defined now. Glad to see the reference to Pentax, though. Nice bit of forgotten history. But overall, it's good to see Panny and Oly getting this credit for innovation.

Agree, especially since w/o Sony launching their FF system, Nikon and Canon could stay longer sitting on their dominance in FF format. The fight will be fierce between those three, of course Canon will win eventually, their userbase is the largest, then Nikon, but Sony should survive, unless it starts to lose market sahre too quickly, which I don't believe will happen. As Nikon enters and Canon develops further their APS-C ML, then we will likely see Canon and NIkon 1-2, Sony a good 3rd, Fuji 4rd I think, as m43 will remain a niche system, possibly not surviving in the long run, as miniaturization will be taken over by smartphones.

MFT was and is the sweat spot of a lightweight and compact system. The new ff Canon and Nikon MILC systems won't change that. Side-effect of Canon FF MILC is the good as dead EOS-M just like APS-C E-mount. For people that want compact and lightweight ( the great benefits to go MILC in the first place) there is only 1 option; MFT.

The camera industry is a declining industry, and will only survive by dropping the casual consumer “snapshot” market and concentrating on the photography enthusiast. Indeed, this is what the camera makers are already doing, pushing FF and larger, and upscale compact cameras like Sony’s RX100 series. All cameras with a smaller number of sales, but greater profit margins. Once Canon and Nikon introduce their new (FF?) mirrorless models, you can be certain that they will push these in preference to their DSLRs. Simply because mirrorless cameras are easier and cheaper to produce and if selling at prices comparable to DSLRs, will have a larger profit margin.

...that was just a dream, wasn't it? ;-) you forgot one special part: not only the FF sensor is being expensive, but into a Mirrorless also the EVF, that part easily costs some hundreds bucks alone, if it's a decent and good one. For instance, Sony's new, shiny 3.6 MP EVF is easily >= 500 USD, and that part is still not into mass production. And mirrorless cameras, by design, sucking more energy as a DSLR, because of the EVF power consumption.

I do expect the new Nikon FF DSLM EVF to be way good, because already 2011 into the V1, their (only 1.44 MP) EVF back here, was decent, unlike other brands

Anyway, i'd also shoot DSLR and even Film SLR into the next decades...because i simply don't care about the latest tech, or "what is currently the best"....i just enjoy photography, no matter which gear i do use therefore. ;-)

The FF sensor is common to both DSLR and Mirrorless. Sony is selling their new 3.6MP EVF at $500, to camera makers developing new models. Once it goes into large scale production the price will plummet. DSLRs need skilled workers to set up pentaprisms and PDAF modules. This also takesmanufacturing steps, that mirrorless cameras don’t require. Mirrorless cameras can be more easily automated. Any human input needed requires less skills, so production can be shifted to cheaper countries.Look at a strip down of one of Sony’s R7 series of cameras, compared to a FF DSLR, you can easily see how much simpler they are. Canon and Nikon have realized that technology has advanced enough so that the downsides of Mirrorless have largely disappeared (and any disadvantages remaining are going to disappear over time).The camera buying public has recognized this, hence the increasing market share of Mirrorless cameras. Canikon need to be in that market.

I would just call them Live View cameras. But then of course the diehard OVF guys would say *they* are the ones with live view cameras, that people using mirrorless are seeing a little TV screen. For me personally, the #1 feature of mirrorless is on-sensor focus instead of off-sensor focus, so I would maybe call them Direct Focus cameras. But mirrorless works fine for me anyhow.

Actually, digital cameras (DC) only would suffice, w/o any extra qualifier. DSLR is clear, digital SLR. A camera without any internal moving part, all electronic, should just be that, either digital or simple electronic camera, even better, since original sensor signal is actually analogue, then turned digital inside camera. Thus, there you have it, EC.

@RK: FT went under because of APS-C, FF competition, mainly APS-C. As Canon and Nikon get in the ML boat, I think m43 will also be in danger of extinction. Olympus Camera's revenues are already 1/6 of Nikon's and 1/3 of Sony's, and much less than Canon APS-C ML. Panny don't even report camera finances.

I'm not sure MFT will fade out all that quickly. I do think they will slowly adopt more computational features leveraging the smaller sensor. Technology keeps advancing.

Right now camera technology is held back by batteries, heat dissipation, and internal computer power. Possibly the operating system and file system. Our phones probably have more powerful batteries and processors than our cameras.

But it came of age with the SLR, and that remained the professional and enthusiast choice for 60 years. So, it's a milestone that we will see pros and most enthusiasts move away from the SLR technology. My bet, ML surpasses DSLR in the ILC market within 2 years.

Still have my Lumix G1 with matching 14-45 "Kitlens", and it's working perfectly, as it should. Everything >ISO 400 was being un-useable because of the noise, but that small combo really excels at low ISO and i've made some good memories with it over the years.

Good Light !

Marc

And yes, the G1 is 2008 tech, and the direct Lumix L10 successor, which was itself the Lumix L1 successor - so "mirrorless" is now being a decade old.

[edit] Personally, i've found the E-P1 "fugly", espcially the back plate with metal parts and that huge black, plastic part, was clearly not matching at all good together...and it missed the EVF back then, so it was ueseless for myself. But the build quality was good.

Not as good as both of the Leica Variants (which are being FourThirds, not Micro Four Thirds) but very close, just right...and way faster AF, and a lot being smaller, just right. I bought the G1 back into early 2009 only because of the 14-45... ;-)

Hooray, at least you know what 'mirrorless camera' means, and that it is indeed only 10 years old. Mind you, ten years, you would think is long enough for someone who thinks they are interested in cameras to have worked out what a mirrorless camera is by now. It's not "any camera without a mirror", fellas.

Latest in-depth reviews

The Canon G5 X Mark II earns a Silver Award with its very good image quality, flexibility and the overall engaging experience of using the camera. However, if you need the very best in autofocus and video, other options may suit you better. Find out all the details in our full G5 X II review.

360 photos and video can be very useful for certain applications (as well as having fun). The Vuze+ is an affordable 360 camera that supports both 2D and 3D (stereo vision) capture, and might be the best option for someone wanting to experiment with the 360 format.

The Mikme Pocket is a portable wireless mic with particular appeal to smartphone users looking to up their game and improve the quality of recorded audio without the cost or complexity or traditional equipment.

The 90D is essentially the DSLR version of the EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless camera that was introduced alongside it. Like the M6 II, it features a 32MP sensor, Dual Pixel AF, fast burst shooting and 4K/30p video capture. It will be available mid-September.

Latest buying guides

If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.

Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at nine current models and chosen our favorites.

What's the best camera for under $500? These entry level cameras should be easy to use, offer good image quality and easily connect with a smartphone for sharing. In this buying guide we've rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing less than $500 and recommended the best.

If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that while they're a bit older, still offer a lot of bang for the buck.

Whether you're new to the Micro Four Thirds system or a seasoned veteran, there are plenty of lenses available for you. We've used pretty much all of them, and in this guide we're giving your our recommendations for the best MFT lenses for various situations.

Blackmagic has announced an update to Blackmagic RAW that adds support, via plugins, to Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer. Blackmagic also announced a pair of Video Assist 12G monitor-recorders with brighter HDR displays, USB-C recording and more.

Sony has announced the impending arrival of its next-generation video camera system, the FX9. The full-frame E-mount system is set to be released later this year with a 16-35mm E-mount lens to follow in spring 2020.

The Canon G5 X Mark II earns a Silver Award with its very good image quality, flexibility and the overall engaging experience of using the camera. However, if you need the very best in autofocus and video, other options may suit you better. Find out all the details in our full G5 X II review.

The Fujifilm X-A7 is the newest addition to the company's X-series lineup. Despite its relatively low price of $700 (with lens), Fujifilm didn't skimp on features. Click through to find out what you need to know about the X-A7.

The entry-level Fujifilm X-A7 improves upon many of its predecessor's weak points, including a zippier processor, an upgraded user experience and 4K/30p video capture. It goes on sale October 24th for $700 with a 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens.

Robert Frank's unconventional approach to photography and filmmaking defied generational constraints and inspired some of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He passed away today at age 94.

All three devices offer a standard 12MP camera plus, for the first time on an iPhone, an ultra-wide 13mm camera module. The 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max also retain the telephoto camera of previous generations.

Phase One's new XT camera system incorporates the company's IQ4 series of digital backs with up to 151MP of resolution and marries them to a line of Rodenstock lenses using the new XT camera body. The result is an impressively small package for one of the largest image sensors currently on the market - take a closer look here.

Phase One has announced its new XT camera system, which includes an IQ4 digital back, body (made up of a shutter release button and two dials) and a trio of Rodenstock lenses. The company is marketing the XT as a 'travel-friendly' product for landscape photographers.